unity-design team mailing list archive

[Mark Shuttleworth <mark@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On 09/11/10 01:36, frederik.nnaji@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
> On Wed, Jun 16, 2010 at 15:54, Mark Shuttleworth <mark@xxxxxxxxxx
> <mailto:mark@xxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
>
>
>     Because of the potential issues horizontal navigation introduces in
>     indicator menus, we have tried to take great care to specify the exact
>     behaviour whenever horizontal nav within a menu is a possibility.
>     Please
>     do report cases that don't work, or which are not precisely and
>     completely spec'd.
>
>
> I'd like to know if you have a spec or guideline for how to use
> horizontal menu elements.
> The Sound Menu wiki didn't specify anything about horizontal menu
> elements, the only reference is this mail of yours..
>
> What i know so far about how to design with horizontal elements:
> * use only where necessary
> * try to design for easy pointer-aiming ( as few horizontal elements
> as possible)
> * look out for cases of mutual exclusion to help reduce the number of
> simultaneously displayed items
> * use for frequently accessed controls that must be close to each other
> * use for  controls that have a special semantic proximity (e.g.
> backward, pause/play, forward)
>
> looking through the Indicator Menus, i found 2 places where horizontal
> elements were being used so far, both in the Sound Menu:
> a) the volume bar with the Mute button (loudspeaker with no waves),
> Fader, Full Volume Button (loudspeaker with three waves).
> b) playback controls
>
> what can we deduct from this?
>
> First of all, that we have two Mute buttons in the Sound Menu...
> Second: It *is* possible to design a comfortable menu interaction
> experience with horizontal elements.

I don't think we have a comprehensive horizontal-nav guideline, yet. I
do think we have a policy that cases where horizontal behaviour is
introduced need to be carefully thought through and documented - I
thought for example that the Sound Menu specified the following
behaviour for the playback controls: moving down or up to the playback
controls should place the visible focus on the play button, where space
would pause/play, and left/right would trigger previous/next returning
the focus immediately to the play button.

Mark

Attachment: signature.asc
Description: OpenPGP digital signature